Imperial Commonwealth Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission 

DANISH
'I haven gotten to know some very wonderful teachers here who have helped me understand what it is like to be a really good mentor. They are excellent role models if you are interested in pursuing a career in academia.' - Danish Khatri, MSc in Control Systems

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) is an international scholarship programme, and in the United Kingdom (UK) is responsible for awarding academically bright citizens of developing Commonwealth countries with funding to undertake postgraduate study at UK universities. The CSC wishes to promote equal opportunity, gender equity and cultural exchange.

Accordion widget - Commonwealth scholarship info

Please note: Applications for the 2023-24 academic year have now closed. The information below is for reference only. 

Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by June 2023.

 

Eligibility

To be considered for Imperial Commonwealth PhD Scholarships you must:

  • be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British protected person
  • be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
  • be available to commence your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in October 2023
  • hold, by October 2023, a first degree of upper second class Honours standard (or above); or a second class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification, which will normally be a Master’s degree
  • NOT be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university before October 2023
  • For information on the Imperial Commonwealth Scholarships programme, please refer to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website

 How to Apply

You should apply directly through the Commonwealth website; all applications should be made via the nominating agency in your home country.  Applicants are also advised to apply for their programme of choice at Imperial College, as soon as applications open, through the standard application process.

Applications must be submitted by 16:00 (GMT) on 1 November 2022. 

How much is it worth?

The scholarship covers

  • Approved tuition fees
  • A personal maintenance allowance
  • Provision towards the cost of approved fieldwork undertaken overseas
  • An initial arrival allowance, incorporating an initial clothing grant for scholars from tropical countries
  • Study travel grant towards the cost of approved study-related travel within the UK or overseas
  • Return economy airfare
Please note: Applications for the 2023-24 academic year are now closed. The information below is for reference only. 

Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by June 2023.  

Eligibility

To be considered for Imperial Commonwealth scholarships you must:

  • Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
  • Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
  • Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in October 2023
  • By October 2023, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree). The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to provide justification as to why you wish to undertake this study
  • Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
  • For information on the Imperial Commonwealth Scholarships programme, please refer to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website

HOW TO APPLY

You should apply directly through the Commonwealth Master's Scholarship website; all applications should be made via the nominating agency in your home country.  Applicants are also advised to apply for their programme of choice at Imperial College, as soon as applications open, through the standard application process.

Applications must be submitted by 16:00 (GMT) on 1 November 2022.

How much is it worth?

The scholarship covers

  • Approved tuition fees
  • A personal maintenance allowance
  • Warm clothing allowance, where applicable.
  • Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable.
  • Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
  • Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award

Applications for the academic year 2023/24 are now open. 

 

Eligibility

To apply for this scholarship, you must:

  • Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
  • Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country 
  • Have submitted an application to study on one of the following three eligible courses as soon as the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship competition opens  (competition is due to open on 3 November 2022).  Important:  In order to be eligible for this award, applicants must also hold an offer of admission by the time nominations to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) take place. Nominations will take place early 2023.
  1. MSc Advanced Materials Science and Engineering (Department of Materials)
  2. MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering (Department of Chemical Engineering)
  3. MSc Computing (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning)

(please note that these are the only three eligible courses for 2023 entry).

  • Be available to start your academic studies in the UK, or remotely if required, by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2023
  • By September 2023, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard, or a second class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).
  • Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country
  • Be unable to afford to study at a UK university without this scholarship
  • Commit to return to their home country within one month of the end date of their scholarship
  • Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

Other requirements

  • Applicants who are nominated for this scholarship will be required to have met College English entry requirements (Pre-sessional English courses are not supported by this programme) by 30 June 2023. If you have not met the English entry requirements yet, please make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible.

For information on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships programme, please refer to the Commonwealth Scholarships website.

HOW  TO  APPLY

In order to apply for this scholarship, you must follow two steps:

Step 1: Apply for one of the 3 eligible courses at Imperial College London. Applicants must submit a complete application through the standard application process as soon as the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship competition opens.  

Application fee

If you’re applying for a postgraduate course at Imperial, you may need to pay an application fee. For information on application fees and to check if you're eligible for an application fee waiver, please go here.

Step 2: Apply for the scholarship: You should apply directly through the Commonwealth Scholarships website.

The deadline to apply for both the MSc and for the scholarship is 16.00 (GMT) on  13 December 2022

Outcome of awards 

Student Financial Support team at Imperial College London will notify nominated candidates (award holders and reserve candidates) by 3 April 2023 at the latest (changed from 13 March). The CSC will then confirm that these candidates meet the eligibility criteria for this programme. Universities will inform candidates of their results by July 2023.  If you have not heard from us by the end of March, you should assume your scholarship application has been unsuccessful. 

Number of awards

Imperial College London has been offered 3 awards for the 2023/24 academic year.

How much is it worth?

This scholarship is jointly funded by the CSC and Imperial College London.  

Each scholarship provides:

  • Approved economy airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award
  • Approved tuition fees
  • A stipend (living allowance)
  • Warm clothing allowance
  • Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable 
  • Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas 
  • Excess baggage allowance, up to an annual approved limit, when returning home
  • Reimbursement of the cost of a mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test at a pre-determined amount set by the CSC where required for a visa application (receipts must be supplied)
  • Disability Support Allowance for personal living costs (if eligible)
  • If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a child allowance

Applications are open for Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships for the 2023/24 academic year  for PhD candidates from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries to spend 12 months at a UK university as part of their doctoral studies in their home country.

The closing date for applications, including all supporting documentation, is 2 March 2023 at 16:00 GMT.  In addition to the CSC's online application, applicants must apply to study at Imperial.  Candidates should apply to study at Imperial College London for a Research Occasional (FT). This should be Entry term Autumn 2023-24 application.

The scholarships are aimed at high-quality graduates whose proposed research has a developmental focus and who have the potential to become influential teachers or researchers in their home countries.  

Split-site Scholarships are delivered through an existing institutional or departmental link between the candidate’s home university and proposed UK university.

For full details, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships

If you have any questions about either of these schemes, please contact the Student Financial Support team.